Yankees World Series Champion, Rookie Of The Year Chuck Knoblauch To Meet Fans In Enfield

ENFIELD, CT — A multiple-time World Series champion will be visiting Enfield during the first weekend in September, making an appearance at a large monthly sports memorabilia and collectibles show.

Chuck Knoblauch, who won American League Rookie of the Year honors with the World Series champion Minnesota Twins in 1991 and later captured three straight titles with the New York Yankees, will meet fans and sign autographs from 11 a.m. to noon at the Tanguay-Magill American Legion Post 80 at 566 Enfield Street. Autographs range from $15 for trading cards to $30 for bats and jerseys; inscriptions and photo opportunities will also be available.

Knoblauch, now 57, played Major League Baseball for 12 seasons, mostly as a second baseman. He compiled a .289 lifetime batting average, cranking out 1,839 hits with 1,132 runs scored and 407 stolen bases. He swiped 25 or more bags in 10 of his dozen seasons.

He was elected American League Rookie of the Year in 1991, batting .281 with 78 runs scored and 25 steals for the Twins. He earned 26 of 28 first-place votes in the balloting to double the point total of runner-up Juan Guzman of the Toronto Blue Jays; future Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez also received votes that year.

Knoblauch played a significant part in the winning run of the 1991 World Series, moving Dan Gladden to third base with a sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the 10th inning of a 0-0 game against the Atlanta Braves. After sluggers Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek were walked intentionally to load the bases and set up a force out at any base, pinch-hitter Gene Larkin lofted a single off relief pitcher Alejandro Pena, giving the Twins their second World Series title in five years.

After batting .350 in a 5-game victory over the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series, Knoblauch had a very productive Fall Classic, batting .308 on eight hits in 26 at-bats. He also walked four times and stole four bases.

He made his first of four All-Star Game appearances in 1992, won the Silver Slugger Award in 1995 and 1997, and earned a Gold Glove for fielding prowess in 1997. On Feb. 6, 1998, he was traded to the Yankees.

For most of his first three seasons in the Bronx, Knoblauch was the starting second baseman, batting .280 with 449 hits, 312 runs scored and 74 stolen bases in 402 games. The team became the first franchise since the 1972-1974 Oakland Athletics to win three straight World Series, sweeping the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves in four straight games in 1998 and 1999, then topping the crosstown rival New York Mets in five games in the 2000 "Subway Series."

Manager Joe Torre moved Knoblauch to left field full-time in 2001' following that year, he signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals, where he had one unproductive season before retiring.

The card show is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and admission is just $3. More information may be obtained from Alix Langlais, idealcards14@aol.com, or Cliff Gorneault, clfgorneault@yahoo.com.